The Rise of Spirits-The fall of Worlds
by Jetzul
Summary: Set two years after 'Tales of Xillia'. "He shook his head, screaming, sobbing, begging all this to be just a dream, a part of his imagination, pleading for someone to awake him, to grab him and pull him away from the nightmare. A heavy explosion rocked the city, throwing him off his feet, forcing him to believe the reality. She raised her sword. "Good bye Jude." '
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guy, new Fanfic here! I recently played Tales of Xillia, and god, I loved the game, and HAD to write a fanfic. ^^ This idea just popped into my mind, and decided to share it with you all!**

**There will be no new Artes or skills-all those which will appear will be the ones used in the game. **

**I don't own Tales of Xillia! (Should be pretty damn obvious)**

**Please R&R!**

_How did it come to this? _

_Two kinds, human and spirit, working in harmony with each other, both striving to aid and protect one another. _

_Rieze Maxia, the younger world, the one which almost lost its way, almost victim of destruction due to the thirst of one man's ambition and power, united to create a new Era of peace._

_Elympios, the world which was fighting to change its ways, to protect the spirits it had once almost driven to extinction, to save the remains and protect the young spirits that were born._

_The existence of two Utopias. With every individual, every spirit, man and spirit, working hand in hand, standing along side one another, aiding one another. Both powerful, proud and hopeful. Two worlds meant to be united forever._

_So ow did it come to this?_

_It was impossible…They needed one another…together they were one. _

_He shook his head, screaming, sobbing, begging all this to be just a dream, a part of his imagination, pleading for someone to awake him, to grab him and pull him away from the nightmare._

_A heavy explosion rocked the city, throwing him off his feet, forcing him to believe the reality. _

_ "Please…" he sobbed, hot tears trickling down his cheeks and landed on ruined earth beneath him. _

_Why did it come to this?_

_A woman stepped out of the flames, her blond hair blowing with the wind. Her sword, Eidolon, gleamed maniacally with the continuous explosions around them. _

_He watched her step closer, his emotions ripping him to shreds._

_This wasn't supposed to happen._

_With every step, another home exploded. He could hear them, the screams of the dying people, the laughter of those who caused it._

_This wasn't supposed to happen._

_Her pink eyes held no emotion. She made no sound as she stopped just before him. _

_He looked up. His home aflame, his friends screaming for help. Help that would never come. His face streaked with tears, his pride, hope and beliefs swept away._

_This wasn't supposed to happen._

_She raised her sword._

_He instantly collapsed again, screaming, pleading, begging, crying._

_Why did it come to this?_

_"Good bye Jude." _


	2. Chapter 2

**Yo dudes! Jetzul here with a new chapter of Rise of Spirits-The fall of Worlds!**

**Not too much to say, except for a big thank you for the review from one guest, and for the follow Yuki Lover! Really got me motivated! ^^**

**I promise not to let any of you down! Let's get this fanfic on the road!**

**I don't own Tales of Xillia (huddles in a corner and falls into despair)**

"...the more mana that is placed within the fossil, the spyrite will grow in both size and compact, turning the lesser spirit into what we can almost call a live animal." He said proudly, gesturing to the little glowing semi-transparent fox creature sitting on the table next to him. The spyrite sat there, staring curiously at the small group of doctors and members of the medical group, occasionally releasing a small gentle cry, as if to insist on the speaker's words.

"But if we continue to feed the spyrite with a normal amount of mana, the spyrite will be able to live and aid people, but will be unable to grow in both strength and abilities." He looked back at the said creature that had decided to go to sleep on the desk next to him. He smiled. "The mana source is the key to the spyrite's survival. The mana fossil must not be kept at a too far distance from the spyrite, at the risk of the latter dying." He looked back to the crowd of scientists and doctors. He noticed an upraised hand. "I promise to answer your questions after the presentation." he quickly said.

He looked back at the board behind him, and flipped the large paper over. A new large graph with rising and falling lines were traced on it. "Now here's the main problem: the booster. We haven't found a way to remove that problem yet. The booster has irregular frequencies, and can easily give the spyrite too much, or too little mana at once. Though, we noticed that the boosters all have a pattern, so we can compensate the problem with mana fossils." He looked back down at his notes and shook his head. "That's about it." he crossed his fingers behind his back. "Any questions?"

The raven-haired teenager's question was answered by two or three doctors who raised their hands.

"Yes Doctor Lurias?"

Another teenager, about his age, lowered his hand and looked at the sheet of paper before him. "You've said that the amount of mana can turn the spyrite into a more…living creature. Say if we give the spyrite a huge dose of mana, enough to turn it into a living creature, and then cut the source of mana, what will happen to that spyrite?"

The answer was simple. "The spyrite will die. It will take much more time, but it will die. Anyone else?"

There was no one.

"Well that concludes the meeting."

Instantly the assembly climbed to their feet, and the small conversations between them, aroused. The crowd began to trickle out of the room like oil from a tank.  
With the presentation done, the teenager let out a long sigh of relief, and collapsed on a chair, exhausted. He had been working on the presentation all week, and had had little time to rest, sometimes staying up all night for his research.

"Hey Jude!"

The boy in question looked up to see Balan rush towards him. He had moved from Elympius to Fennmont in order to attempt to convince many people, namely the King Gaius himself, to aid the Elympians in their attempt to create their new source of energy: Spyrites.

Jade grinned. "Hey Balan. What did you think?"

The older man stopped before him and crossed his arms proudly. "You did great. I'm glad to have you on our side. I though Alvin was kidding when you were an honor's student and all, but looks like I was the one who was wrong. For a sixteen year old, what you did was impressive."

Jude blushed slightly from the praise. "Well, thanks, I guess. It was a lot of work. I hope it pays off in the end." He climbed to his feet once again and began to collect his notes. "I've heard rumors that nature was progressively returning to Elympius. Is it true?" he asked, hopeful that the ruined world would now be able to return to its once lustful green state.

Balan tilted his head. "Well, nature is returning, and the public is fighting hard to save the newborn spirits, but…"

Jude noticed the pause. "What's wrong?"

Balan shook his head. "The government wants to use the newborn spirits as temporary fuel for society until the use of Spyrites is capable of supporting the spyrixes role. We need as much support from the people of Rieze Maxia if we want to stop them."

Jude nodded understandingly as he piled up his research papers together. "I see. Well I could-wait, can you pass me…thanks-I can write to Milla and ask her for support. She'll definitely come and help you." he said.

Balan sighed. "As much as I'd appreciate the offer, I think I'm going to refuse. I don't want to go running to the Lord of Spirits for help. I have a rep to keep."

Jude shrugged. "No prob." He turned to leave, before stopping. "I'm going back to the dorms. I'm still…" he shook his head. "We can walk and talk."

"Actually, I was going to offer you a dinner. Consider it a thanks for being such help." Balan nodded. "Hey spea-wait let me help" he quickly opened the wooden door to let the teenager out of the room. "Speaking of Milla, what happened to her? I've heard of some rumors but…"

Jude smiled sadly. "In the previous letter I received from her, she said that she was spending most of her time in the spirit realm, trying to keep an eye on the newborn spirits, while rebuilding the Rieze Maxia." He said, raising his head to think back of his last battle with Gaius. The battle had been so violent, the shockwaves of the mystic artes had somehow managed to do real damage in both Elympius and Rieze Maxia. "But that was two weeks ago. I haven't heard of her since." He lowered his eyes. "I miss her…"

Balan noticed the look on his face. "Don't worry, I'm pretty sure you two will meet again. After all, she _is_ the Lord of Spirits. She can allow herself to take a day off right?" Receiving no reply, he turned to the raven-haired teenager. "Jude?"

The boy was staring at the ground as he walked, oblivious to the world around him. Balan sighed and clamped a hand on his shoulder, making the boy jump out of his reverie. "You're zoning out again."

Jude felt his ears redden. "Sorry." he whispered in embarrassment. He was doing that a lot recently…was he really that tired?

The two of them stepped out of the large school and into the dark, yet comforting streets of Fennmont. Jude felt the autumn wind blow pleasantly through his hair. However, his head, already heavy with fatigue, felt dizzy, and the breeze brought a strong sense of nausea. Staggering to regain balance, he rubbed his face with the palm of his hand.

"Whoa! You okay Jude?"

Jude grew quickly aware of two hands holding by the shoulders, helping him regain his fragile balance. "Just tired. Sorry Balan, but I don't think it'll be wise for me to pick up your offer. Sorry. Another time maybe?"

Balan noticed the look on his face. "Yeah, you're exhausted. How about tomorrow for lunch? It'll give you the time to sleep in."

Jude thought. "I don't have anything planned for tomorrow, so maybe." He shifted the load in his arms in a more comfortable position. "Where do we meet? The Verhian Restaurant? It's not too expensive."

Balan grinned. "Don't worry about the expenses. Don't forget, I'm much wealthier than I look."

Jude sighed. "I think there's a place called Cherish's Token. How about we meet there at eleven?"

"Works for me. I'll see you there!"

Jude watched the older man walk away, a certain leap in his steps, before turning and pacing calmly towards his school's dorms. Once again, it was just him and his books…this school life could get really boring, which often led him to work. Granted it wasn't the most exciting thing, but at least it was better than losing his time right?

Speaking of time…what time was it? He knew it was beginning to get late, but the skies of Fennmont were always dark, and the spirit lights living within the trees were hardly enough to help keep track of time.

"Hey watch it!"

Jude stumbled backwards, muttering a quick apology to the man he had just walked into, before turning past him and continuing his trek. He really had to be more careful.

* * *

He finally slammed dorm's door shut. Leaning against the wooden door in both relief and exhaustion, he dropped all his books and notes on a pile on the floor, and seemed ready to sleep in that position, when a quiet clicking noise could be heard from the otherside of the room.

Groaning, he looked up. Just outside the window, pecking irritatingly against the window frame, was a small white pigeon with a black spot on one of its wings.

"Spot…" he muttered.

Instantly, he felt his mood lighten. Spot was his own messenger bird. He walked up to the window and carefully pulled it open. Instantly, the pigeon hopped inside and took flight, carefully landing on the desk next to the bed.

Jude slumped on the bed, and carefully opened the small leather pouch that was slung around the bird's neck and wings. He felt his heart skip a beat when he pulled out the neatly folded piece of paper.

As quickly as he could, he unfolded the sheet. Milla must've answered him! How long he waited just to get news fr-

His spirits collapsed when he remembered a crucial fact about Milla: she couldn't write. She never needed to, and even if she and to sign her name on something, Gnome, the Great Spirit of earth, would move her hand for her.  
Nevertheless, he looked at the letter, and felt his mood improve slightly as he recognized the unreadable scribble that was Leia's handwriting.

Wait…was her handwriting…

Jude shook his head sadly. His exhaustion was toying with his eyesight. He tossed the letter on his nightstand and pulled on his pajamas. He'll read it tomorrow.

For now, nap time.

* * *

_She watched the village of Nya Khera from the hills fall into slumber for the night._

_Her eyes gleamed with anger. They were the first ones to accept and invite the Elympians to join Rieze Maxia. Because of them…_

_They will pay for their insolence._

_She raised an arm. Instantly, the ground around her began to shift. Fragments of rock and minerals began to churn together._

_"Please stop!"_

_She turned to glare at the Great Spirit that flew out of her body, and hover before in her original form: a small green fairy. She flapped her small transparent wings in order to keep hovering at the woman's eyelevel. _

_"Please Mistress. Remember all they've done for you! If anyone deserved mercy, it's them!"_

_She snapped her head towards the Great Spirit, her eyes burning with anger and blind rage. "Do you wish to return to the Lance of Kresnik?"_

_The spirit's eyes went wide, and she shook her head madly. _

_"Then shut up."  
The woman raised her arm and snapped her fingers._

_Instantly, a huge wall of soil erupted around her, and dove at the small, defenseless village, loyal only to her, that slept peacefully before her. _

_She watched the soil spill towards it, before vanishing underground again. Several long seconds later, the scenery shifted, and huge pillars of earth erupted from the ground, destroying every house, one by one, in the village. _

_The people were awake suddenly, and were instantly thrown in absolute panic._

_She smirked as she saw the wreckage, the bodies being torn and flung in the air like broken wooden dolls, and the screams for help and mercy._

_They all died out. And soon, the once peaceful village of Nya khera ceased to exist entirely._

_She turned. "Next time, more destruction and chaos." She muttered to herself. She turned around. "What are you looking at?" she snarled._

_The green colored spirit, her eyes wide as saucers and her mouth clasped tightly over her mouth to suppress a scream of horror, hovered there, in a complete state of shock. "I…" she tried to formulate a word, but her voice failed her. She screamed and did the only thing she could: escape._

_She flew away like a bullet, not giving any time for her Mistress to recover from what happened._

_Tears streaking down her face, the Spirit flew as fast as her little wings could carry her. "What happened?" she whispered as she flew away. "This wasn't supposed to happen…"_

_She landed inside a large tree, and quickly snuggled in the gentle leaves, before breaking once again into a heart-broken sob._

**Yes the village of Nya Khera is destroyed. ^^ Things like this will happen in the futur. I'll try to warn if I'll add some character death (highly unlikely there will be some, but just in case) **

**Otherwise, REVIEW! REVIEWS MAKE ME REALLY HAPPY!**


	3. Chapter 3

**First of all, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE REVIEWS/FAVS AND FOLLOWERS! This is the first time I've had this many comments and favs so early in a fanfic. It caught me totally off guard and really made my week. ^^ Thank you so much!**

**Now, I have some news. For those who hae checked my profile, you know that I live in France, and I'm currently hitting my last year of high school. As a result, my time is dramatically reduced, as the french teachers take studies to a whole new level (trust me, I know what I'm talking about. However, I have new ideas that keep popping out here and there, so expect some really a surprising events in the next few chapters! ^^ I promise to update ASAP, and hopefully it'll be one chapter every week if I'm lucky. If not, it's every two **

**Two more characters make their appearances! TIME TO HIT THE TEXT! **

**I don't own Tales of Xillia (is this really necessary?)**

Balan flipped the page over, before plopping the small pile of documents back on the table. Picking his cup up, he took a quick sip of his coffee, before leaning back on his chair, his legs crossed.

His sip turned into a huge gulp, and within a few seconds, his cup was empty of its contents.

Wiping his mouth discreetly with his finger, he stared at the cup in both surprise and satisfaction.

This thing was _good_. He should really try to get cook to move to Elympios. Honestly, how did they-

"Sorry I'm late!"

Balan looked up to see the flustered and out-of-breath boy he had invited only yesterday evening. Jude slipped in the seat in front of his friend, gasping in effort to catch his breath.

"It's not like you to be late." Balan noted with some concern. "Did something happen?"

Jude shook his head. "No, I'm *pant* fine." The teenager pulled out a sheet of paper from his blackish/blue coat pocket, and placed it on the table. When he finally got control of his breathing, did he start explaining. "I received a message from my friend last night, and decided to read it this morning."

Balan tilted his head. "What did it say?"

Jude shook his head. "That's why I'm late: her handwriting is messy. I tried reading it this morning, but I need someone to help me decipher it."

Balan gave the boy a deadpanned expression, before he burst out laughing.

Jude felt his inward temperature rocket skyward at the reaction. "Balan…" he whispered pleadingly. He noticed some confused stares the two of them were receiving from some other costumers and waiters. "Balan. We're getting stares." He whispered to his friend.

Balan got himself under control. "Okay, so you tried to read a letter, but failed, and went running for help. All right, let's see what this is." He leaned over to pick it up, but Jude snatched it away from his hand. "Well, are you going to ask me for help or not?"

Jude looked back at the letter, and hesitated. He shook his head. "I think I'll ask someone else. You'll just crack up again just by looking at it."

"Fair enough." Balan leaned back on his chair. He looked at the small pile of documents he had been reading before his friend had arrived. He picked them up and passed them to the young former explorer. "I have some news-good news."

Jude stared at the pile for a few seconds, expecting Balan to quickly explain the reason. Seeing that the older man wasn't going to, the honors student flipped a page over and started reading. "…fossils can be amplified to aid spyrite to grow, allowing patient to-" Jude looked up from the paper to Balan. "Isn't this some sort of summary from yesterday?"

"Keep reading."

Jude looked back at the documents, and continued reading, muttering under his breath as he read. "…clearer…speed…only…tough…" he flipped a paper over. "Young…booster…spyrite birth…wait, birth?" Jude narrowed his eyes and reread the line. "…Changed from energy to solid, the mana released from a Great Spirit can be collected and placed inside the spyrite with the help of a fossil, to serve as a temporary fuel supply. Studies say that if the spyrite is given a heavy dose of mana, the psyrite will be able to undergo a certain evolution, becoming within a short time, an actual creature with both healing properties alongside the ability to produce-" Jude snapped his head up. "That's amazing! But…why didn't you tell me yesterday? I could've added it on the report."

Balan shook his head. "I only received this document this morning."

Jude looked back at it. "Who wrote this?"  
"A friend back in Elympios. He's been researching spyrites like me. He's name's Gaedrix. Remember Volt? That Great Spirit you tried tethering with? Well, normally he's supposed to keep an eye on her. When the base was attacked, he left his post to stop Gaius. He got severely injured, so that's why you didn't meet him back there."

Jude nodded. "I see. Well that's great news! Now we can-"

"Excuse me?"

Both men looked up at a waiter who was standing just before them. He was bowing gently, his hands behind his back. "Two gentlemen are waiting outside. They said they wished to speak to Doctor Jude Mathis."

Both men looked at each other in confusion. Jude carefully placed the document back on the table. "I'll check who it is. I'm pretty sure it's nothing." He said. "Can you do me a favor? Send this to King Gaius. I know this will please him immensely. Once we've got his support, we're pretty much clear to research on this. Be right back."

Balan nodded. "No prob. I'll be waiting right here."

"This way sir." The waiter said. He led the boy towards the doors, and out of sight.

* * *

Jude followed the man to outside the restaurant. He looked around in search for who could possibly want to speak to him. He found no one.

"They said they would be waiting over there sir."  
Jude turned his head to where the waiter was pointing. "Ok, thanks." He proceeded to walk towards the direction shown to him. A few steps further and he stopped. The street was pretty empty, everyone having gone inside to eat lunch, and the only signs of life were the flickering lights the Spirits gave from within the trees, illuminating the dark city, as well as the few soldiers who were on duty, patrolling the streets.

A hot, thick breeze suddenly blew past him, ruffling his hair, almost knocking him backwards. When he regained his balance, he looked around once again.

"What…"

He noticed something on the corner of his eye. Taking a step back, he turned to investigate.

His action saved his life.

Just as he took a step back, the thing shot right past his forehead and incredible speed, and knocked into the wooden poll with a resounding '_thud_'. Jude stood still in shock, before regaining his senses, and diving on the ground, hiding behind the only thing he could use as protection: a bench. He felt something warm trickle down his forehead. Raising his hand and pressing it on his forehead he realized that the arrow had managed to nick part of the skin.

Instantly, he heard the drumming of footsteps behind him, and turned around. The waiter who had led him outside flung himself on the boy, a shiny object in his right hand.

Feeling his body go on auto-pilot, the boy rolled out of the way, just as the man's weapon smashed right through the wooden planks.

In a flash, Jude was back on his feet in his battle stance, ready to defend himself from the attacker. "What-?"

He never got to finish his sentence. The man snarled and pulled his arm out of the hole he had made, and raised his arm back. It took Jude a second to realize that what he was holding was a kitchen knife.

The man slashed horizontally at the boy. Jude collapsed on his back and spun on his shoulders, kicking the man at the level of the shins, effectively knocking him off balance. He immediately flipped back on his feet, pulling his fist back to strike, when something struck him hard on the shoulder with incredible force, throwing him off balance and onto the ground.

Pain exploded in his shoulder. Gripping it, he felt something sticking out of it. In sight panic, he realized that he had been hit by an arrow.

Yanking it out, he looked around at the rooftops.

In the distance, he noticed the small figure of a sniper that was crouching, something that seemed like an arbalest in his (or hers) arms.

She can aim!

"DIE!"

He twisted sideways, dodging the crazy slash of the waiter. He had to- "FOCUS!" he yelled, launching a Demon Fist at the man, blasting him back several feet. Adrenaline burned in his veins. Without missing a beat, he pushed on his left leg. "SNAP PIVOT!" he yelled. Moving at blinding speed, he found himself staring right at the murderer's back. He kicked the man in the shoulder blade with his heel. Whirling in a complete circle, he felt the ground hit his palms hard, before he rolled back to his feet.

The waiter crashed on the ground behind him. "Is he-GYYAAA!" he screamed, as he felt something knock into his back, and make him collapse as a heap on the group. The adrenaline left him immediately alongside his ability to move completely.

The waiter, somewhat disoriented, climbed back to his feet. After regaining his senses, he staggered towards the downed boy.

Jude watched in horror and tried to move, but his body was too weak to move. The pain from his shoulder and back was unbearable. If only he could move his hands together he could…

"I'm going to kill you…" the waiter whispered.

Jude felt panic bubble inside him. "W-why? I don't even know you! Why do you want to kill me?" he yelled. Maybe that will get someone's attention.

"She said I had to. She's making me." He raised his arm. It descended at high speed.

Jude braced himself for the blow that was going to end his life.

An ear-splitting blast was heard.

Jude opened his eyes, just in time to see the body of the waiter collapse on the floor. Two heavy black boots landed in front of him. "Looks like I got here right on time. Good thing you got a loud voice."

Jude's mouth plopped open. "Wait, wha-" he suddenly gasped. "The Sniper! She's right-" he yelled when and arrow thudded in his hand.

The man whirled around and fired three consecutive blasts. There was a long pause, followed by the sound of something heavy hitting the ground in the distance. The man kneeled before the fallen boy. "Well looks like you're nothing without supervision. Can't seem to stay in one area without being attacked?"

Juke looked up at the man who had just saved him. "Very funny Alvin." He gasped when he tried to move something.

"Whoa, don't move just yet." The man reached within his coat pocket and pulled out a small, red, oval shaped item. Rolling Jude over, he tilted the injured boy's head back a little. He quickly plopped the apple gel in his mouth. "Here, try chewing this. It won't do anything about your wounds, but at least it'll get rid of the pain long enough for you to heal yourself."

Indeed, the apple gel took effect almost immediately. Jude felt his numerous wounds turn numb, and the pain ceased to exist entirely, but he did feel the uncomfortable sensation of the blood trickling down his skin, and soaking his black and blue uniform. He quickly raised his hands together, and cast his healing arte. "Healer." He said calmly.

Instantly, his body glowed gently, and his wounds began to close. When he was sure he was done, he lowered his arms and looked at his older friend.  
"Thanks Alvin. I owe you one."

Alvin raised his arms. "No prob." He looked back at the dead waiter. "So, what did you do to piss poor Riaz off?"

Jude stared at Alvin. "You know this guy?"

The mercenary nodded. "Yeah. Used to work together in Exodus, though he quit about the time Gaius started blowing stuff up back at Elympios. Last time I checked, he was working in some restaurant." He stretched his arms and crossed them behind his neck. "So, what did you do to piss-"

"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE! HANDS WHERE WE CAN SEE THEM!"  
The two of them turned to see about a dozen soldiers all wearing blood red armor, wielding spears and sword, barge through the empty streets and surround the two men.

Jude looked around them, both concern and worry obvious in his features. He silently obeyed the order, and carefully raised his arms.

Alvin, however, simply crossed his arms on the back of his neck again, and yawned. "Finally. You guys took your sweet time." He said.

"HEY! HANDS AWAY FROM THE BROADSWORD!" one of the soldiers yelled.

Instantly, the whole group advanced, quickly and effectively confiscating all their weapons.

Jude sent his friend an exasperated look as his bracers were unstrapped and ripped off his wrists.

Alvin grinned sheepishly. "Well that didn't work."

* * *

Jude slumped on the ground in the cell he shared with Alvin. "Why am I the one with the worst luck?" he whined.

The adult behind him, who had been lying on the wooden plank the guards called 'a bed', raised his head from his crossed arms. "You just had to call dibs first you know?"

Jude ignored him. Hunched on his heels, he began tracing the edges of one of the bricks on the ground with a pebble. "Why did you try to resist? Now they think we're responsible for-"

"Remember what happened last time when you were surrounded by Rashagul soldiers in Fennmont?"

"Right." Jude said.

The awkward silence fell in between them, though Jude ignored it, focusing on his activity.

"So…I heard you made a successful presentation on spyrites yesterday…" Alvin said, trying to strike up a conversation.

"I think it was two days ago…" Jude answered back from his position. "I lost track of time…"

Alvin sat up, glad to have an excuse to talk. "How did you manage that? I thought you lived here."

"I didn't eat anything since breakfast the other day…" This was confirmed by the loud gargle his stomach made.

Alvin remembered Jude telling Leia that the only way to keep track of time in the capital was to eat at the same time as everyone else. He decided to steer his weak attempt to form a conversation back on track. "And the presentation?"

"Actually, it went pretty well." Jude replied, leaning back against the wall, resting his hands in his lap. "No one seemed to negative on the idea of the spyrites, and I'm pretty sure we managed to get most of the public opinion on our side. I was reading some documents given to me about turning Spyrites into real animals with healing abilities before I got into this mess."

"Who gave those to you?"

"Well, Balan did, but-"

"BALAN'S HERE?!" Alvin yelled, sitting bolt upright, making Jude jump in surprise.

"Erm…yeah? He was here for the past month…"

Alvin was completely emotionless and still for the next few seconds. In fact, the lack of reaction began to worry Jude, and the boy got ready to cast Healer, when the man leaped away of the bed (plank?) yelling at the top of his lung. "THAT'S WHY MY PIGEON NEVER CAME BACK! I TOLD IT BALAN WAS SOMEWHERE IN ELYMPIOS!"

Jude sweat-dropped. "But Elympios is huge…how could your pigeon find him in such a large place? Elympians don't have spirit orbs that allow the pigeons to locate someone."

"ASK THE DAMN PIGEON!" he yelled, kicking the wall in frustration. "I've been waiting three whole weeks for an answer.

"Um…I asked him to give something to King Gaius before we got separated…and since we-"

"You two! Quit blabbering and get over here!" someone barked.

Jude turned to see a soldier standing in the doorway of their cell. He quickly climbed to his feet. He took a few hesitant steps towards the door, before turning back to face Alvin.

"What?"

Jude turned around. "Nothing." He stepped out of the cell, and walked up to the wall. He noticed three more soldiers standing near the walls, their weapons raised. Clearly they had been expecting them to try and break out as soon as they were away from the bars.

They quickly surrounded them, and led them down the stone corridors.

"Where are you taking us?" Alvin asked in slight concern.

"To King Gaius."

Instantly, Jude's hopes soared. Granted King Gaius and he weren't BFFs, but at least they had honest respect for one another. They had worked together to eliminate the Exodus threat too (though that ended with a near-death match between him and the king with Elympios's fate on the line). Surely the man would be willing to listen to him! And since Gaius was king of Rashagul, and therefore Jude must be one of his 'people'.

He was wondering what he was going to say to the King, when he felt a heavy arm drape itself around his shoulders.  
"Happy to see your idol again?"

Jude looked at Alvin and grinned. "We might make it! If we-"

"Shut up and keep moving! And you! Hands to yourself!" one of the soldiers barked.

Alvin raised his arms in defense. "Fine fine." He said smoothly.

"And move faster!"

Jude heard Alvin hiss. He must've been poked on the back with one of the soldier's spears. He remembered having been poked by one before. He grimaced at the memory.

Those things _hurt_.

* * *

The two prisoners stepped into the throne room. The place was packed with civilians, both from Rashugal and Auj Oule, all hoping to catch a glimpse of the King of the two Kingdoms, the King who had held his ground against Exodus invasion and Maxwell, the Lord of Spirits, the King who was willing to protect both his people and his world with his life.

Jude looked around the room, hoping to find a familiar face who could come to help both his and Alvin's situation. Well, more Alvin's. He was fairly confident that he would be let off the hook, but Alvin…Despite that fact that it was King Gaius who was the first one to suggest a peace treaty to the Elympians, his position towards them was clear: he still hadn't forgiven them for attacking Auj Oule. Though he administered punishments as fairly as he could, Jude was pretty sure he might go slightly overboard with Alvin. Especially that those two were rarely in agreement…

Suddenly, the entire room went quiet. Jude felt Alvin gentle pinch his shoulder, snapping him out of his thoughts.

Jude looked up. Walking towards the throne, his presence was enough to leave him out of breath. His three meter long katana was sheathed away and strapped against his waste, and though the blade was inside the sheath, Jude could feel it taunting him, daring him to face it. The scarlet red armor was impossible to miss. Covering the main body, it revealed the powerful muscles that rested underneath. His black leather boots hit the wooden ground with a resonating sound, silencing the entire room immediately.

His face was a void of emotions, for he never needed them. His black hair that fell limp just at the level of his burning red eyes. His pose was the one of a proud, unbreakable, hope and leader. He was a pillar of raw power.

Slowly, with infinite patience, he sat down on the throne. His eyes scanned the entire room. They made contact with Jude's hazel ones. Jude felt naked under the power glare, and was worried about not being recognized, when the king sent him a barely noticeable nod.

Relief and pride flooded through his veins.

"Start the audience." Gaius spoke loudly, his voice echoing through the chamber.

Instantly, soldiers entered the room, organizing the people in lines. He felt a sharp jab on his left hip. Wincing in pain, he heard Alvin behind him snap "Watch where you're pointing this!"

Looks like he and Alvin were no exception. Pushed and jabbed in all direction, he was led to the other side of the room, and was forced to sit on a long, wooden bench. Sitting gently, he looked around. "Hey Alvin…what are we doing here?"

The older man sat down on the bench. Crossing his arms and legs, he lowered his shoulders and looked around, completely comfortable and relaxed, despite his situation. "We'll probably be the last ones to talk to Gaius." He said.

Jude shifted, trying to get somewhat comfortable in the hard bench and fell silent. He hoped he wouldn't have to wait for too long.

* * *

"Stop moving." Alvin whispered.

"I can't help it, it hurts." Jude silently complained. He had been sitting on the bench for what seemed like forever, and the only thing that he felt from his rear was the intense pain that seared up his rear and up his spine.

Desperately looking for relief, he had been shifting in his seat for the past ten minutes. Once in a while, he would accidently bump into Alvin, who, despite his obvious attempts to remain patient, was beginning to get annoyed.

"Just cast Healer."

"That only heals wounds…not irritated butts."

Alvin leaned back, grinning like he had just had the most sadist thought ever, though Jude couldn't blame him. Having a healing spell which proved ineffective during times like this was just plain evil.

In a feeble attempt to distract himself, Jude tried to pay attention to the audience.

"…send some soldiers there to clean the plains." Gaius said. "I suggest you deal you adapt to this situation."

The man, an old one, bowed low. "Thank you your majesty. We will do as asked." He quickly took a few steps back, allowing the person behind him to step forward.

"My lord."

Jude tilted his head slightly. That girl…

He heard Alvin next to him shift. "Hey Jude. That girl looks familiar doesn't she?"

Jude nodded. "What her name…I can't remember…"

"Your name?"

The woman shivered slightly. Jude somewhat pitied her. Despite the care he showed to his people, Gaius was quite cold. It had caught him and some of his friends (namely Leia) off guard when he had first met the king.

"M-my name is Isla, and I-"

"AH!"

Everyone fell silent and stared at Jude who turned bright red with embarrassment. His inside temperature rocket skyward.

Gaius turned back to the woman. "Have anything to say Dr. Mathis?"

"Um, no. Sorry." Jude quickly sat back down, now wishing that the floor would swallow him up.

"Gesundheit." Alvin teased silently.

Jude blushed fiercely. He buried his face in his hands, before sliding them down to lace them at the level his chin. It didn't do anything about the embarrassment or his blush, but at least it helped him get his brain working again.

He listened to the woman's words intently.

"Lord Gaius, I needed to warn you…" she started. She was very pale, as if ready to faint at any second. "There…" she took a deep breath. "I…There…" she tried to get started, but failed, as her words grew trapped in the back of her throat.

King Gaius seemed to shift in his throne, and the emotionless mask was still tight. Jude couldn't tell what the man was thinking. Maybe he was getting a little irritated?

"Get to the point. Calmly." He stated. Nope, still no emotion…

Despite the simplicity and blunt order, it seemed to have the wanted effect, as Isla managed to stutter her words out. "I-I was out d-delivering some me-edicine to several towns and cities. One of them was Hamil." She said.

Gaius gestured at her to continue.

"When I was delivering the medicine to the mayor of the village, the whole place started rumbling, like some giant earthquake."

This was a surprise to many, including Jude. He raised his head slightly in confusion. Hamil was probably near the mountains, but it was very far from the edges of the titanic plates where the earth spirits roamed. The only reason why that place would move, is if a huge quantity of mana would be released by some water spirits that lived in the Kijara Seafalls, and even then, the tremors would be barely, if not, noticeable.

So then, what could've…? Jude scratched his head. All he managed to draw was a blank.

Gaius showed no emotion, though Jude could tell by his hardening eyes, that he had reached the same conclusion as the honors student. "Go on." He said.

Isla continued shakily. "Fortunately, no one was injured. I…I went back to my wyvern, and asked the rider to look around to see the problem. We took flight and we…we…" she looked around frantically. She took a step closer to Gaius. "What I'm saying is true. I swear on Kresnik that it is!"

Gaius's eyes narrowed even more, and nodded stiffly. This was the first time he was showing emotion. Jude unconsciously gulped. The man seemed to have reached a conclusion, and it wasn't a good one. "Go on." He ordered.

Isla took a deep breath. "We saw the Great Spirit Sylph fly by. She seemed like she was…crying…"

Instantly, some snickers were heard throughout the audience. Conversations arose until Jude felt like he was sitting in the middle of a beehive.

"What nonsense."

Jude jumped. Alvin had been so silent he had literally forgotten he was there. "What makes you say that?"

"If Sylph was to be anywhere, it would be by Milla's side. I honestly doubt she lets the Great Spirits go for random walks right?"

Jude had to admit, the idea seemed ludicrous, but why would Isla lie in her audience to King Gaius, when she knew that Gaius had a reputation for hating jokes.

In fact, Gaius instantly stood on his feet and rose to full height. "Miss Isla…do you enjoy wasting my time?"

Isla's face turned into one of pure horror. "N-no my lord."

"Then care to explain why you saw the Great Spirit without its master?"  
"I-I don't know."

Gaius glared down at the woman before him. "And claim this to be true?"

"I-I swear it is. The man who came with me-"

"What else have you seen?"

Confusion swept across the room. Jude and Alvin exchanged looks.

Isla, somewhat destabilized by the sudden question, shifted nervously. "We…kept flying…and we found…" she paused and stared fearfully at Gaius, as though he was going to harm her for what she was about to say.

"Nia Khera…it was destroyed…completely"

* * *

The throne room burst into chaos after the announcement. Most of the audience yelled insults at the woman, the rest just stood in complete shock, trying to register what had been said. There were even some who tried to grab Isla, most likely to attack her.

The soldiers instantly acted, and began to push the civilians back, keeping them from getting too close to both the King and the woman before him.

Jude stood up, ready to help. "We have to help!" he said.

Alvin, who had been seated the entire time, looked up at Jude. "You think?"

Jude ignored the sarcasm. He looked around, calculating where he'd be the most needed. The guards seemed to have the situation under control on the level of the wings. In front of the throne, Isla was…

Suddenly, there was a sharp cry, and a soldier was knocked off his feet and a man broke out of the tight sphere and lunged at Isla, who was too shocked to react in time.

"THERE!"

Alvin was already off. Jude broke into a run after him. Sprinting past the few soldiers who struggled to maintain order, Jude quickly ran up to Isla, and kneeled next to her. "You okay?" he asked gently.

Isla, who had been staring at Alvin plummet the man to the ground, jumped and looked at him. Her eyes went wide with fear. "You…"

"It's okay. I'm-"

"ENOUGH!"

Gaius's roar silenced the room immediately. He was standing at his full height, glaring down at the room before him, his expression daring anyone to make another word. He took a step towards Isla, before directing his glare at Jude.

Jude mentally gulped. However, he tried to act somewhat tough, and stood back up, and challenged Gaius glare with his gaze. The man's glare held a flicker of satisfaction before it disappeared behind the mask.

They held eye contact for a few seconds, before Gaius broke it, turning towards one of his soldiers.

"What are these two doing here?"

One of the soldiers broke from the crowd and knelt before him. "Those two are responsible for the deaths of two Rashagul citizens."

Gaius turned to face Jude. "I see."

"Hey, I'm the one who killed them. I was saving this guy." Alvin said, gesturing to Jude with his head. "They dragged him to the empty streets and tried to kill him."

Gaius made no comment. He stared at Jude, before redirecting his gaze on the soldier. "I want more troops patrolling the city." He said. "If you find anything, or anyone, who is acting suspiciously, arrest him immediately." Gaius turned and faced the trio before him. "So you claim you saw that."

Jude was about to insist that what Alvin said was true, but he realized that Gaius was talking to Isla.

Isla nodded. She made no sound.

Gaius's gaze turned back into a glare. "Apparently you're the one who has been studying lesser spirits and their growth." This time he was talking to Jude.

The teenager nodded. "I do."

"Then go to Nia Khera. Isla will guide you. You will give me a report on what you have learned."

Surprised by the request, Jude took a moment to answer. "Uhh…okay?" he shook his head. "I mean, yes sir." He looked at Alvin. "Can he come? I need someone who can defend me in case of an attack."

Gaius sent him a glare filled with venom. It took everything he had for Jude to keep him from reeling back. He knew the King hated lies, but he had to find some excuse to bring Alvin along…after all, he owed his life to the mercenary.

"Take him. You have four days."

* * *

"Well that worked out much better than I expected it to." Alvin said, twirling his blaster in between his fingers, while leaning back against the railings of the ship.

Jude nodded absently. His mind was elsewhere. A million questions ran through his head. Was the destruction of Nia Khera true? Why did it happen? Was it really the Great Spirit Sylph that Isla noticed? What was she doing away from Milla?

And more importantly…

Why did King Gaius just let them go off like this? Normally, he would've questioned them, then administer them proper punishments.

So why…

Someone draping his arm around his shoulders made him jump in surprise. "Hey…you okay? You keep spacing out."

"How could you not? I have a whole bunch of questions…" Jude rubbed his head. "I mean, why did he just let us off the hook like that? Does he have something planned?"

Alvin looked at him. "Well at least we're no longer in that cell. And we have a proper bed. Just note, I'm taking the top bunk."

Jude sighed. "Really? Don't you have other things to worry about? Like, is Isla's story really real?"

Alvin released his friend. "I have no idea. I'm just glad to get out of there." He stretched. "I'm still calling the top bunk."

Jude sighed again. Not bothering to ask why, he slipped his hands into his pockets. He felt the letter he received from Leia the other night. Somewhat surprised (he had completely forgotten about it), he decided to hit the lower bunk.

It would make it harder for Alvin to spy on his feeble attempts to decipher the text.

* * *

_She stopped in her tracks. Another one…She raised her arm. It glowed yellow with the charging mana. "G-" The sense of something coming closer broke her focus, cancelling the arte._

_She stared out towards the sea._

_He was coming. _

_Her eyes flashed with glee._

_The boy was about to die._

**God, Alvin is really hard to write! I hope I didn't fail too bad...**

**I know some things are a bit confusing, I promise to clear them up later on. ^^ Until then please bear with me!**

**REVIEW! YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW HAPPY THEY MAKE ME!**


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm sorry for the long wait-man over a month has passed without any news. My only excuse is school: I'm starting my last year of high school in France, and as you can tell, I'm swamped with homework and have little time for myself. The good news is, I'm on a two week vacation, so I'll try publishing at least one more chapter by beginning November.**

**For those who have answered/reviewed the previous messages and chapters, thank you so much. I know I'm repetitive, but these reviews are a huge motivator/moral boost that really make my days. ^^**

**Here's the next chapter! Have fun reading!**

It was early in the morning when the boat docked in the Aladhi Seahaven.

The small town was still dark, and the sun's rays had yet to chase the shadows away. The streets were empty of civilians, the only people out of their beds at this hour were the sailors who unloaded the cargo and began to carry them away.

Of the few passengers that had left Fennmont, Jude and Alvin, led by the young medic Isla, stepped out of the wooden boards and into the hard rock.

Alvin looked around. "Looks like we've arrived earlier than expected. Want to grab some breakfast? I'm pretty sure the inn will cook something for us."

"That's okay with but…" he turned to face Isla, who was trying to make herself scarce since yesterday. Not that he didn't understand. It was after all natural for her to be somewhat distant.

Isla noticed his look. "What?"

"Do you want breakfast? I can-"

"No!" she answered a bit too quickly. "I-I'm fine."

Alvin sighed. "Isla, I'm not after you for what you did to my mother." He stated.

Isla visibly flinched and turned very white. "I…I…I…" she whispered.

Jude shook his head. "Alvin, try to see if you can get us some breakfast. We'll catch up."

Alvin's reply was a shrug, and he walked silently towards the inn.

When he was well out of earshot, Jude turned around and stepped towards Isla. He remained silent for a while, before speaking. "Isla…"

Isla simply stared at him.

"Look, I know how you feel. You're scared witless because you think we'll get back at you for what you did to both Elize and to Alvin's mother. But you have to know that no one is angry at you. Elize has gotten completely over it-she even stopped living with Teepo. And for Alvin…he wasn't even angry at you in the first place. You can ease up. No one's going to hurt you or get back at you."

Isla suddenly glared at him. "I-That's not why I'm acting like this!" she yelled. She was obviously surprised by her own tone, and reeled back, rubbing her arm, looking down apologetically. "I-I'm sorry. I've been on edge lately…with Nya Khera, then the Great Spirit, then King Gaius…I haven't had the time to take a break, and then I'm thrust with people who can destroy everything I care so much about…I…I just want to live normally again."

When the awkward silence fell over them, Jude decided it was his turn to step in. "I understand why you feel like this when you're around Alvin, Elize, or some former member of Exodus, but you have to know that we're not all against you. You've noticed that we haven't mention your past to anyone, and most certainly not to your husband."

Isla nodded slowly, but Jude could tell that her action was full of gratitude.

"Look, I promise you that this will be the last time we meet. After that, if you want to forget about us for the rest of your life, go ahead. I'm just going to ask you to try to accept us just for the time being okay?"

Isla nodded slowly. "Okay."

Jude nodded in satisfaction. "Now, let's find Alvin."

Isla stepped forward. "Jude…I think I'll take your offer for breakfast."

The honor student grinned. "Let's see what the cooks can whip up."

* * *

Jude stepped on the top of the hill and looked down. The sun was setting when the group reached Hamil. The small village was bathed by the golden rays, and the gentle breeze began to pick up, gently blowing his hair away from his face.

"We're here!" he called out to Alvin and Isla who were lagging behind.

Alvin gave a last push and stepped over the curved ground, before slowly descending the slope. "So this is where you felt the earth shake?"

Isla nodded. "Yes. We were delivering medicine to the Mayor. I wonder if she's okay…she seemed pretty desperate to get the bandages…"

"Either way, let's not stay here for too long. You might be fine, but Jude and I aren't exactly buddies with these guys." Alvin said from the bottom of the slope.

Isla nodded and walked briskly down the hill and into the village.

Jude paused for a second, before stepping down as well. Why would the Mayor be so desperate for medicine? Granted this place was far from the cities, but still, the quality of life wasn't that bad right? Even Elize was in a pretty good shape despite being isolated from society for the first eight years of her life.

"It's quiet."

Jude looked up at Alvin. "What?"

The man stood in the middle of the village, his eyes narrowed, but his guard down. "I said it's quiet. Remember when we first got here? The place was filled with people, even though we arrived in the evening. Right now, it's completely empty."

Jude looked around. Alvin was right. Even the shops that used to bustle with activity were silent, and more importantly: empty.

Jude felt Isla step closer to him. "I don't understand…did they leave? Even when I left, there was still-"

"WHO'S THERE?"

The three travelers jumped. In a flash, Alvin's broadsword was in his hand and Jude was standing in a defensive stance, ready to dodge any incoming attack. Feeling his heart begin to thud uncontrollably, he managed to stammer and answer. "Travelers! We're on our way to Nia Khera!"

A heavy silence fell over them, as several long seconds followed the quick exchange.

Alvin shifted his grip on his weapon. "So? You going to reveal yourself?" he called.

"NIA KHERA IS GONE! LEAVE NOW!"

Jude snapped his head to the right, and began scanning the roof of the houses, his arms half crossed in front of him, all his senses on high alert. That voice…It was different than the first one, but…

Alvin looked at Jude. "What do we do?"

Jude, with infinite care, lowered his arms, though kept his guard up and legs tensed. "Stay back. I think I know that voice-or at least the second one."

Alvin sent him a confused look, before shrugging, and stepping protectively before Isla.

Jude stepped carefully forward, one inch after the other. He answered the silence with his own, his hazel eyes staring at the rooftops, daring anyone to attack.

"STOP RIGHT THERE!" The first voice…

Jude obeyed. He took a deep breath. Okay…time for the hard part. "So, apparently you decided to run away. So, what happened? Failed in your duty again?"

Alvin raised an eyebrow at the speech, but said nothing.

A heavy silence fell over them. "IS THAT YOU, YOU PHONEY PUNK?"

Jude opened his mouth, but thought better when he saw a grayish stream scream towards him at high speed.

Jude did the only thing he could: dive out of the way of the mystic arte.

"SHIMMERFANG IMPACT!"

A huge, half sphere of golden light engulfed the area Jude was standing barely seconds ago.

Jude rolled back onto his feet and whipped his head up, grinning hugely. "I knew it. You're too easy to ta-IVAR!"

One could expect everything from Lord Maxwell's guardian. Attempt (and usually fail) at making impressive entrances into battle, an unwavering loyalty towards Lord Maxwell-sometimes ready to run naked into battle to save her (almost doing in several occasions)

But Jude never expected to see this.

Ivar, the guardian of Lord Maxwell, and one of Jude's greatest rivals, was glaring at him, covered in bandages and drenched in his own blood. His clothes were torn-his left sleeve even missing. His right wrist was completely bandaged, but judging by the disgusting distortion, Jude could tell that the bone wasn't just damaged: it was completely pulverized.

Ivar's legs had been slashed open, and the scars were very new-some of them even opening again with the guardian's sharp movements.

The two swords were heavily damaged-one of them even smashed in half. The other had barely a solid hilt.

But what shocked Jude the most was the man's face. Ivar's once handsome features, were…ruined, to put it bluntly. A huge gash had been opened, ripping the left eye and cheek open, almost revealing bone. It was still pouring with blood.

"I-Ivar. What happened?" Jude yelled.  
"You stupid phoney…I'm going to KILL YOU!" Ivar screamed, as he lunged forward, brandishing his two swords forward, ready to rip the boy apart.

Jude, completely overwhelmed by what was happening, took a step back. His heel caught the edge of a rock, and he tripped, tumbling on the ground with a heavy thud. "I-Ivar!"

"DIE!"

Jude saw the blood-red sword descend upon him and-

"TERRA RUPTURE!"

There was a loud rumble, and Ivar screamed as he was ripped out of control and thrown towards Alvin, who launched a strong left hook on the injured man.

It knocked Ivar back two or three feet, before he crumpled on the floor, unconscious, barely alive.

A heavy silence fell over the small group. "What…happened to him?" Isla whispered, her voice barely a whisper.

Alvin shook his head. "Beats me." Stabbing the ground with his broadsword, he lowered himself to his knees and carefully inspected Ivar. "These injuries look recent…do you think-"

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!"

The three of them turned sharply to see the Mayor of Hamil run towards them. She was holding one sword in her two old hands. "Leave him alone at once." she snapped.

Jude climbed to his feet, and raised his hands in attempt to calm the woman down. "Hey…Mayor."

"Hey, old hag, listen. First rumors that Nya Khera is destroyed start flying, then the village of Hamil is abandoned, and now the Guardian of Lord Maxwell is barely alive. What's going on here?"

Jude blew his bangs out of his face in exasperation. Leave it to Alvin to be the most blunt possible.

The Mayor turned very pal and started shaking. "I...I…I…" she stammered. "We…I…" she gulped. Panic and terror began to spread across her features.

"Mayor, it's okay. King Gaius sent us to investigate. I promise we mean no harm." Isla said softly, stepping past Alvin and before the old woman.

At the sight of the Auj Oulian doctor, the old woman began to calm. Having regained some ability to speak, she whispered "Come inside…it's best for all of us…"

* * *

"What happened to Ivar? Last time I saw him, he was, well, in better shape than this" Jude asked as he cast healer for the fourth time going.

The group had entered the Mayor's house, and was currently standing in the large rooms. Ivar had been laid back into one of the beds, where Jude, with the help of Isla, desperately proceeded to heal the man.

The Mayor, who was currently sitting on one of the wooden chairs, gripped her clothes tightly. "We…I'm not too sure either…" she whispered. "When the earthquake happened, right after you left Isla, he just came falling from the sky. He had barely woken up when you two arrived."

Alvin ran a hand through his hair. "My money's on that he fell off his wyvern." he said.

"We killed his wyvern in our last encounter, remember?"

"Wait, really? I guess the situation is more serious then."

Jude rolled his eyes before focusing on healing Ivar.

Isla finished bandaging some of the wounds and stood up. "I managed to push the broken bones in his wrist close to one another. If I go forward, I might make things worse. Even if the bone heals, I don't think he'll be able to move his hand again…" she said. She looked back at Mayor and carefully stepped towards her. "Mayor." she whispered. "What's going on? Why is Hamil empty?"

The Mayor began shaking. "When…when the earthquake took place and the Great Spirit of Wind flew by, we feared the worst. We decided to run away, until he came falling." The old woman looked at Ivar. "I decided to remain behind. But everyone else left."

Isla nodded. "Thank you for all the help Mayor." she whispered. She looked up at Alvin. "What do we do?"

The older man, who was now leaning against the wall, shrugged and gestured to Jude with his head. "Ask him. He's leading."

"We're going to Nia Khera" Jude said firmly. "I don't know what's going on, but whatever it is, it's serious. Ivar wasn't just defeated, he was downright crushed. And he's an elite warrior. We need to know what's going on."

Alvin scratched his head. "Hey Jude…I understand your concern for Milla, but the monster took down Ivar obviously with extreme ease. Don't forget, even the four of us together could barely defeat that guy."

Jude glared at the sheets and lowered his arms. "I know. But we've got to at least try to know what really happened." He looked up at the ceiling and sighed. "I promise we just take a peak and move out. After that, we run back to Gaius. He'll be strong enough to deal with the rest."

Alvin nodded. "With Muzet ready to back him up, the guy's practically invincible. He'll be perfectly able to deal with the monster himself."

Isla looked at Alvin. "Isn't Muzet a spirit? She's close to him"

"Define 'close'. They're practically married. And yes, Muzet is the Great Spirit of inter-dimension and ice. She's a beast. Don't mess with her."

Jude climbed to his feet. "We'll joke about Gaius and Muzet later. First things first, we get to Nia Khera. Then, we warn King Gaius." He walked towards the Mayor, and knelt before her. "I managed to fix the worst, but there are some things I won't be able to undo, such as his destroyed wrist, and the scar on his face. I don't think these will ever go away. But to be sure, try visiting my father back in Leronde. I'm sure he'll be of more help than me."

The old woman made no reply. She simply nodded and kept her eyes on her lap.

Jude stood up. "Come on guys." he said.

As he stepped out of the door, Isla quickly followed him. Alvin straightened himself and took a step forward when-

"Alvin..."

The man turned around. "Yeah?"

The Mayor made no move to face him. She simply spoke. "When your friend was unconscious…he kept muttering…'why. Why Lady Milla…'. I don't know why."

Alvin felt the temperature in the room drop of several degrees. He paused and looked at the sleeping man. "Thanks," he said, before turning around and closing the door behind him.

The man must've been rejected again, the older man decided. It was the only logical explana-

"Hey Alvin! You coming?"

Alvin looked up at Jude who was waving at him from the otherside of the town. He waved back, and started the trek towards the holy village.

So why was he so scared?

* * *

"So these are the Kijara Seafalls. They're beautiful."

Jude nodded as Isla looked up at the giant waterfalls that seemed to stretch to the sky. "Myths say that this waterfall is the source of all the liquid-type mana all across Rieze Maxia. They also say that the Waterfall keeps pouring with each of Undine's heartbeat."

Isla looked at Jude, her interest picked. "Spirits have hearts?"

Jude nodded. "They do. Except that theirs is a sphere charged with pure raw mana. Like humans, their heart eventually gives out."

"What happens to the spirits who die?"

"They become-Alvin, are you okay?" Jude interrupted himself when he noticed the older man walk past him, a concerned look on his face.

Alvin snapped out of his thoughts. "Hm?"

"You've been quiet ever since we left Hamil. Is something the matter?" Jude asked.

Alvin shook his head. "I-it's nothing. Just something that's been nagging me. But I'm sure it's nothing."

The three of them fell in an uncomfortable silence, but kept walking.

"Come on," Jude said, more to break the silence than to say anything in particular, "Nia Khera is just past those hills."

* * *

_She flapped her small wings and peered past the side of the cliff, watching the three humans walk slowly past the Kijara Seafalls._

_What were they doing?_

_She gritted her teeth, the churning of her stomach and rigid, ice-cold feeling that ran through her veins, told her that she knew the answer._

_They were going to Nia Khera._

_She had to stop them._

_Flapping her wings as fast as she could, she took off, unaware of the blond goddess that watched her from the edges of the seafall._

* * *

There was one thing Jude was certain of, was that something was very wrong.

Not wrong in the sense that you'll get in trouble or something, it was the feeling you get when you know you're going to die.

Everyone had fallen silent, despite the feeble attempts to start a conversation. Isla had become very pale, her strides becoming shorter and shorter with every step, like she was dreading what she was going to see just past the hill.

Even Alvin was glaring at the surroundings; his hands in his pockets, and judging by the form f the left pocket, Jude could tell that his hand was gripping his blaster tightly. He too, had his guard up, and was tensed, ready to defend himself if even the worst happened.

Jude focused back on the hill that was separating him from the holy village. Feeling more and more desperate by the second, he accelerated his walking speed. With every step, he felt the ground become more distant, he felt like the hill was getting steeper and steeper, and that he'll never be able to reach the top. Desperation and panic began to bubble in his chest. His stomach churned.

He had never felt like this before…

He reached the top, and looked down the other side, dreading what he would see.

He instantly fell to his knees, as all energy had been sucked right out of his own body. "W-what?" he choked.

The village wasn't just damaged, it was completely destroyed. The houses had been ripped open, the wooden walls snapped like twigs, the splinters drenched in what seemed dried blood.

The earth was torn, crevices and stalagmites rose from the ground like blades through a human body.

Figures were lying on the ground, though they were still too distant to know what they were.

"How…"  
Jude barely acknowledged what Alvin said. In fact, he had yet to realize that his two companions were standing next to him; the woman was shivering, though she had already seen this before. Alvin was standing on his left, his arms dropped uselessly against his sides, his eyes wide with complete shock.

Jude did the only thing that crossed his mind: he leaped onto his feet, and raced into the village.

"JUDE WAIT!"

Jude ignored the order, and kept running. Fear brought adrenaline coursing through his veins, pushing him forward. "No…" he whispered, barely able to suppress a sob, as he realized that the things he hadn't been able to identify were pieces of human beings. "No…" He ran faster, like the world was falling. He ran, dreading to see what had happened to her.

Speeding into the forest, he entered the realm of shadows and instantly felt the cold nibble at his skin. Only when he approached the large, wooden house at the end of the road, did he start to slow down.

Before him, with her back facing him, stood a motionless, tall, blond woman.

Jude skidded to a halt, swamped in relief. "Milla?" he whispered. "Are you…"

"JUDE!"

The teenager turned around to see Alvin and Isla catch up with him. "Guys…"

"Jude, don't go running off like-Milla?" Alvin interrupted himself at the sight of Lord Maxwell.

Jude nodded. He stepped forward. "Milla? Are you okay?" he asked gently, barely capable of resisting the urge to hug the woman before him. "Milla?"

There was no response.

"Milla are you okay?" Jude asked again, carefully lay a hand on her shoulder

The reaction was instantaneous. As soon as his hand even brushed her shoulder, the woman spun around, ripping his arm away from her, and snagged his collar with extreme strength. Milla glared at Jude, her eyes charged with murderous intent. "I'm perfectly fine, thank you Jude" she snarled, her voice laced with insanity and bloodlust.

Jude failed to react for several seconds. "W-what? Milla?"

"You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this…" the woman hissed. She swung Jude in the air, before bringing him crashing down on the ground, and raising her sword high in the air.

"JUDE!" Isla screamed.

Alvin managed to snap out of his shock, and leaped into action, knocking the woman off the stunned teenager. "Jude, snap out of it, are you okay?" he asked, shaking the boy by the shoulders

Jude was completely motionless for a few seconds, before he too, snapped out of his stupor. "M-Milla? What's going on? What happened?"

Milla laughed. "My my Jude, you really are innocent and naïve. Not that I will complain. It's made things so easy for me." Her laughter stopped, and she raised her sword. "Buy you've worn out your usefulness!" she roared as she lunged forward, the tip of the sword turning ablaze.

Jude had no idea how he managed to dodge the attack. But he managed to kick himself out of the way, just as Milla screamed past him. He felt the intense heat and wind slap him in the face with extreme violence.

Time seemed to slow down, as Jude managed to catch Milla's eye as the two beings missed one another. Jude's eyes went wide with horror as he realized what was going on.

Time sped up.

Jude skidded on fours, panting. "That was-"

A high pitch scream rang out across the forest. Jude snapped his head up, and almost yelled in horror. "ISLA!" he yelled.

Milla's attack had barely missed him. But Isla hadn't been so lucky. The sword had gone right through her stomach, sprouting out from her back. The young woman whimpered, before falling to her knees, motionless.

"Do as she did, and fall to your knees before me." Milla hissed.

"ISLA NO!"  
Jude turned to look at Alvin, who was staring, bewildered, at the scene before him.

The man drew his broadsword from his back pulled out his blaster. "How could you? Why-"

Alvin didn't get to finish. Milla snapped her fingers, and Gnome appeared before her. Instantly, the earth around them exploded, and came crashing down on them. "ALVIN!" Jude yelled, as he saw his friend get caught in the wave of earth, and thrown towards Milla's waiting sword.

It was his years of experience that saved Alvin. The man, caught in the wave or dirt, acted out of instinct, and blasted two bullets at the Great Spirit, before swinging his bladed weapon down, parrying Milla's own.

Gnome screeched in pain, before vanished within Milla.

Jude could barely move. Even in a time like this, he felt like his legs had turned to stone, that he was paralyzed. He couldn't believe it. Milla…

Milla's eyes gleamed with insanity. "Ah, I remember how you taught me the ways of the sword." she hissed, as she managed to resist the clash. "But you know they say, the apprentice will one day defeat the master. And guess what? That day is TODAY!" she finished her sentence with a scream, and Efreet appeared behind her, bathing the woman in flames. "DIE YOU FOOL!" Milla roared. There was a blast of fire, and Alvin was sent flying backwards, where he crashed in the tree next to Isla. He slid on the ground. "Ow…"

"HEADS UP!"

Alvin raised his head, just in time to see Milla bring her sword crashing down on him. He raised his arms to protect himself. Milla's sword ripped right through the left forearm, almost tearing it in half. Blood poured out uncontrollably from the wound. Alvin screamed in pain as Milla instantly followed the attack up with a rain of fireballs. Alvin instantly fell over, unconscious, and Jude couldn't tell if he was still alive.

"ALVIN NO!"

He tried to move, tried to act, but his legs-no his body-refused to obey. He was crouching in the middle of the clearing, injured, barely capable of supporting himself, met alone fight.

Milla turned around to face him. "Ah Jude. My lovely little boy. you have no idea how much I've missed you" she whispered. She stepped closer to him.

Jude tried to get his body moving. He failed. "W-w-"

Milla gently touched his cheek. "Don't worry. I know you can't move. Undine is making sure of that."

Jude eyes went wide with horror. The human body was composed with so much water…Undine could…control it?

"You're so easy to read." Milla laughed. "I can't control your full body, but most of it." Milla gently brushed the boy's bangs out of his face. "How to kill you…such a difficult question." She stopped and raised herself to full height. "How about we start with this." She grabbed a fistful of Jude's hair and lifted him off the ground.

Jude screamed as pain exploded throughout his scalp. "MILLA!"

Milla laughed. "I love you screams. How I've longed to hear them…NOW DIE!" she lunged forward, and sunk her blade into Jude's chest. Jude gasped, and coughed out blood. Suddenly, the whole world felt very distant, in fact, he barely noticed the fact that he was thrown against the tree.

"LADY MILLA PLEASE!"

Jude failed to raise his head, but he noticed a flash of emerald green fly by, and hover protectively above him.

"Lady Milla please! Leave them be! They came to help you!" the figure squeaked.

Jude tried to move, but he was too weak. All he could do was listen to the voices…they sounded so far away.

"You again…to think that you would-"

"LADY MILLA! THAT'S ENOUGH!"

That voice…

"Ivar…it appears the first time wasn't enough. Looks like I'll have to punish you a second time."

Far away, Jude heard screams and explosions rock the clearing. Everything was becoming so quiet…so peaceful…so calm…

"You won't get away this time Ivar."

"I *cough* already did. TELEPORT!"

Jude briefly saw his world turn gold, and everything went dark.

* * *

Leia was happily carrying the pail outside, trying to ignore her mother obnoxiously yelling orders from the other side of the village.

She had no idea cleaning the dishes was this much fun! After all, dumping the dirty water from her third floor window proved to be quite entertaining. Too bad her mother was underneath…

At least she somehow managed to put the blame on dad.

She'll have to add this to her list of pranks she promised to try on Jude. She giggled as she thought of the possible reactions he might have.

Hey! Maybe she could-

"LEIA!"

The girl turned around to see two children run towards her, pushing a wooden wheelchair before them.

"Leia! Let's do it again!" the first child, a boy, exclaimed.

Leia grinned. "ALL RIGHT!" She slipped into the seat, carefully balancing the full bucket on her lap, before raising her fist yelling, "TO THE SEAHAVEN! LET'S BURN RUBBER!"

Instantly, the boys behind her started pushing the wheelchair with all their might, and slowly, the momentum began to build, and Leia found herself racing across the village.

"YEEEHHAAAA! FASTER FASTER! Hey! Look over there!"

The two boys skidded the wheelchair to halt, and looked at the direction Leia was pointing. A wooden carriage had been unhooked from the horses, and was leaning backwards, the edge pressed against the ground.

Leia looked at the two children. "You guys thinking what I'm thinking?" she asked, a huge grin drawn on her face.

The two children nodded, grinning like idiots too.

They turned the wheelchair, before pushing once again with all their might.

"Come on faster!" Leia yelled. "We gotta fly!"

The speed was built, and the boys released the wheelchair, and the wheelchair flew up the carriage, and it with its user was sent flying through the sky.

"I BELIEVE I CAN FLY! I BELIEVE I COU-NO! I DON'T-LOOK OUT BELOW!"

The two children burst out laughing as the girl flew out of sight, and her screams were followed by a loud crash.

* * *

"Wow, that was AWESOME!" Leia said, crawling back to her feet. "I should totally do this again." She shook her head. "Where's the pail?" she asked.

"I suppose you mean this?"

Leia, still standing on fours, looked at the outraged face of Dc. Mathis himself. The man was drenched with the dirty water, the pail placed on his head, giving him a comical appearance, despite the serious look on his face. "Um, yes? Can I have it back? Please?"

The father of her childhood friend ripped the pail off and pushed it in her arms, before turning around, and storming towards his house.

Leia pouted. "What's his problem? I didn't mea-"

A massive pillar of golden light came crashing down in the streets before her. Stunned, she watched in silence as the light began to fade.

When the light dissipated completely, she dropped the pail, which hit the ground with a loud clatter, and her hands instantly slapped against her mouth to keep herself from screaming. Her face turned deathly pale.

Before her, lay four humans, two men and one teenager, and one woman, all lying on the ground, drenched in their own blood. In the middle of them, was kneeling the unmistakable figure of the Great Spirit of Wind.

Sylph, tears running down her face, threw her head back and screamed at the top of her voice.

"SOMEBODY HELP ME!"

**I know what most of you re thinking: WHAT! For that, I have several important things to tell you.**

**The first one is about Ivar. He will be with the gang from here on out. I know many people don't like him, and I admit I'm not a fan of Ivar, but I think he deserves to be part of this plot. I mean, if he wasn't the comic relief, he'd be perfect as a badass. I mean, first he gets trampled by a monster, he doesn't get a scratch, then, when he breaks his sword, he stabs himself in the head, but pulls the blade out, no questions asked, and then he jumped off a freaking wyvern and onto a battleship, and annihilates a whole army of Elympian soldiers. **

**And as a boss, granted he was easy when I fought him with the wyvern, but the first time you fight him (solo Jude/Ivar), he was freaking _HARD_. I freaking lost three times. And it wasn't just a close fight: I got my ass handed to him.**

**He could be so awesome, and I kinda wanted to give him a chance.**

**That doesn't mean I won't bash him on the head from time to time.**

**Did I mention I love writing Leia? I think she's my favorite character of the game. I mean, she's so much fun to play around with. ^^ For those who love that character, you're going to have a blast.**

**One last thing: I've been talking with some friends, and we're still debating on whether this fanfic should be a Jude/Milla or a Jude/Leia. So far, since no decision has been made, I'm going to stand in between, trying to please everyone. But, personally, I like the Jude/Leia pairing, so expect to see this as a final decision-though it's far from confirmed!**

**And now, it's time for your ultimate test:**

**REVIEW! **


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